


These hands are made for handling messes

by Hambarton



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint has low self-esteem, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Human Disaster Clint Barton, Nat can't be tender for long, Nat is NOT a cold-hearted bitch, Protective Natasha Romanov, a couple of soft assasins, and too much love for dogs, every Jeremy Renner movie is a Clint Barton undercover mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 07:36:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19080451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hambarton/pseuds/Hambarton
Summary: "Uhhhh, I can do this myself, Nat. Not gonna hurt myself in the process or anything"Nat kept on with the work, not meeting his eyes. "Dude I'm trying to be tender here.""Sure. Honored. The black widow takes care of me? Definitely going up the top of my life-achievement list"





	These hands are made for handling messes

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic so I'm super nervous!!!

Clint's an idiot.

No, seriously, he could be shooting arrows (or anything at all, really - "I'm not picky on my weapon, Nat, sometimes a fingernails work fine") while performing acrobatics and looking out for everyone at the same time, but now as they were just a minute away from landing the Skycycle, he saw a dog or something,  _goddamnit_ , twisted back to try to point it out for Nat and somehow fell right off. His love for dogs is adorable, she has to admit, but if the archer could have a little bit of self-control, for god's sake, that would be nice. Because when Natasha finally landed, she saw the damage (they're not even fighting!!! Yet!!!) Clint's arms and elbows were covered by cuts, scratches and dirt, Nat noticed with disgust (and maybe worry) his right cheek a mess of blood and grass, and considering how he went down, she didn't think his legs were okay either.

 

"Aww, where the doggo went?", Clint lifted his neck just a bit, eyes darting around and stopped when he saw Natasha with her arms crossed, her left brow shoot up. "NAT, IT HAS ONLY ONE EYE!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!", he lowered his voice when he read something in Nat's unwavering expression, "I just want to pet it one time", he mumbled.

"You're weird, Clint", she forced a smile inside, grabbing the purple hearing aid/comm on the ground. She helped the archer put it on. "C'mon, let's clean you up." Nat cocked her head, one hand reached out for him to hold on, the other picked grass and dirt out off his hair as they walked (in Clint's case, tried to pretend he’s not limping) to the safehouse.

"I'm gonna find the dog after this is over. He seems lost", Clint sighed. Nat can't help but find his sad face adorable.  _What a dork._

"If we get you a dog after this mission, will you stop launching yourself off the Skycycle?"

"YES. Maybe. I can't tell for sure. I mean, I don't come for troubles, they come for me"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Sure they do"

 

>>>\--------------------------->

 

"I'm out of bandage here"

"What?"

Clint stuck his head out of the bathroom, water dripping on his face as he tried to wash the dirt off. Nat was sitting on the living room floor, in the middle of unpacking and trying not to think about Clint falling in the bathroom – he’s a mess, that could happen for sure.  

"This house is pretty much empty, and I didn't have the time to grab a kit!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME???? YOU WERE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES WITH SAM WHEN I GET READY!!!", Natasha shouted back. She should know this would happen, she really should. "What did I tell you about mission prep?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhh, we're pros it's an easy mission pack lightly?"

 

Nat sighed, internally made a face palm. She didn't pack any either, because _Black Widow won't even break a sweat doing missions like this_ , but she knew how Clint's a disaster magnet. She should expect that he'd get himself hurt even on non-threatening mission (or on any occasion, really)

Clint's never got out from a fight without being covered with purple band aids and bandage. He's always treated the wounds himself, since the guy has a thing with hospitals (only goes there for very serious damage, and he'll sneak out as soon as he wakes up), he's really grunchy about it and they just have to leave him alone. Tony has a huge monthly order for Clint's medical supplies, so Natasha never really had to think about packing extra bandage for him. Which she really should start doing. 

 

"You suck, dude. I'll go grab some then."

Clint could've said it's fine, it's just some scratches, they happen but he knows Natasha Romanoff doesn't use the future tense lightly, so he didn't oppose.

"Uh-huh." He got out of the bathroom, reaching for the towel Nat laid out for him. "Wait. I don't think they're open anymore. It's past one?"

"I'll break in, it's not hard, Clint." Nat got on her feet. "You're okay here?"

"Can I tag along? I still want to look for that dog."

She shoved his head. "You're impossible. Don't fall this time it's embarrassing". Then, noticing a grin starting to creep on his face, she added "EVEN WHEN it'll be hell of a story to tell Steve, who, may I remind you, is not amused by your idiotic actions."

"He's cute when he's disappointed though"

"Whatever, Hawkeye"

 

>>>\--------------------------->

 

Nat won't take the chance of letting Clint fall again, so they just hovered a few inches above the road on the Skycycle like a "ghost motorbike" (in Clint's word). That of course didn't sit well with Clint ("How can I spot the dog, Nat? You know I see better from a distance!!" "Oh shut up already.") but they finally got to the drugstore without dropping a certain idiot,  _so fuck off, Clint._

 

"You're really going to go full spy-ey on this place, Nat? Wire and gloves and everything?"

"Yeah. What?"

"It just reminds me of Ethan that's all." Clint then proceeded to hum the soundtrack of MI on the comm. It should be annoying but she let it go. What did Tony say,  _sometimes you need a soundtrack for your dramatic entrance_?

After three beats, Clint stopped humming. "I miss Benji─"

"Door's open. Get in"

"Copy"

 

Nat was "shopping" for a box of bandage, a pack of cotton, a bottle of iodine and a few other things while Clint found himself a sink to wash his hands and rerinse the wound. The cut on his cheek had already dried, but the ones on his legs definitely reopened and were wetting his newly changed pants. He swore at himself for being restless waiting outside. Oh well, it's not like he's gonna be a baby about it, not when there's not a big enough audience, at least. Speaking of which, he turned around and saw ... Nat was setting up a chair for him, then sat on another one, getting things ready. She looked... sad? worried?? pitied??? That could just be his imagination, she's probably annoyed. They got here early, but Nat liked to get things done before time's up and break records and all the badass stuffs. Aww, he’s slowing her down. 

"What's with you and Benji by the way?" Nat asked playfully as Clint limped to the chair. She started putting on the latex gloves, ripping off boxes and packages.

"Uhhhh, I can do this myself, Nat. Not gonna hurt myself in the process or anything"

Nat kept on with the work, not missing a beat. "Dude I'm trying to be tender here."

"Sure. Honored. The black widow takes care of me? Definitely going up the top of my life-achievement list" 

"You make me feel like a cold-hearted bitch." She pretended to be offended. "Which I am" - "Which you are", they finished at the same time. Clint chuckled with a lazy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

 

Natasha could feel his body tensing as he’s probably munching on his self-doubts again. Ugh. She’s not good with these emotion things. Sam would probably know what to say, like Don’t be hard on yourself, Clint or something. But Sam’s not here, and Nat doesn't do motivational affirmations or things like that, so she did the only thing that came to her mind. She applied the iodine-ed cotton on his leg just a little bit too hard.

"That's an ouch. Thought you’re going for tender", Clint said flatly.

"I kept this up for too long. It gets itchy after a while."

 

As the wounds on his arms and legs were covered with bandage, Nat thought  _Yeah, that looks more like Clint Barton_. She moved on to clean the cut on his face.

"I got these little pony band aids." She handed him the box. "Thought you'd love some Twilight Sparkle on your stupid face."

"Aww Nat, you're the best bro out there!"

"Whatever. You'll pay for it though."

"Still. Tender Nat is the best bro. Let her out sometimes will ya?"

Nat smirked, shoving the side of his head. "Just this time, Hawkeye". But then she saw it again, and because Black Widow is always three steps ahead, she quickly stopped what was about to come out of Clint's mouth. "And you WILL NOT throw yourself off things to get her out, Clint Barton, that's manipulative"

"What abo─"

"No shut up!" Nat cut him short as she finished putting the purple band aid on his right cheek. She stepped back a bit, looked him in the eye, face doing a  _We need to talk, Clint. Serious talk_. He definitely read that, 'cause the cocky grin on his face faltered.

"Look, I'm only letting tender Nat out 'cause you started beating yourself up the moment you set your foot in here. Or whenever we see you hurt, for that matter. You made me sit like two rooms away when you’re hurt!", she stopped, lowering her voice just a bit, "I'm your best friend, Clint. I know, and I don't think you're what you think about yourself. I don't think anyone does, really."

 

Clint's not big on the idea of being weak. It's probably fine before, when it's just him and Nat going for SHIELD mission. But it's the Avengers now, and for all the jokes and teasing, sometimes there's still a voice telling him he doesn't belong with them. A voice very much like one of someone from his past.

 

"I know you can look after yourself just fine ─" Clint has been on the road after running off the circus for years, he definitely can look after himself. And it's not like he had anyone back then, really. "But some of us really care about you, some of us try very hard to show they care, I mean, hell, some of us still think it's scary to care, but they do anyway. So maybe you should try and let us help you, okay?"

He gave her a sad smile. He knew Nat's still trying to gain back what the Red Room has taken from her. With this team, this family, _with him_. He knew Nat cared, for all the snickers and disappointed looks she threw his way. He knew his friends believed in him, it's just his mind messing with him. He knew the things Barney told him still stuck with him, years later.  _No one got the time to worry 'bout you, brother, you got to make your own stuffs work_. Ugh. Maybe he should start working on his issues, maybe letting people take care of him for the start. It’s scary, but Nat’s doing the scary stuffs okay, right?

Maybe this is something he wanted, but never dared to ask for. 

 

"It's scary you know me so well Nat", he finally said.

"Duh? I'm good at my job"

"Being my friend's a job?"

"Was gonna say being a professional spy, but okay. Being your friend's not getting me paid, though." She eyed Clint's smirk. "Come on, let's get out of here."

 

They stood up, silently decided on their part of cleaning up the mess. Nat got the trash, and Clint look for the price of those stuffs they used. Clint found more purple band aids (still no Hawkeye merch anywhere) and paid for those as well.

"Let's go" Nat said once the store back as new.

"We fly high this time, right? I still miss the dog."

"Of course you do." She rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll get you the dog."

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE THE BEST, NAT!!"

"Yes. _I know_."

"That won't stop me from telling you that, you know"

Natasha let herself smile fondly now that Clint's settled behind her back. Yeah. Clint's an idiot.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I could be wrong about the injuries???  
> 2\. Natasha watches My little pony with Bruce's kids (because in my stories Bruce is the one with secret wife and secret kids)  
> 3\. We all agree that every Jeremy Renner movie is just a Clint Barton undercover mission right?


End file.
